South Australia will be relying on new recruit Phil Hughes on the final day of their Sheffield Shield match against Queensland after being set a massive victory target.
Chasing an unlikely 463 to win, Hughes ended day three unbeaten on 58 to take the Redbacks to 2-111 in their second innings at the Gabba.
Callum Ferguson is with Hughes at the crease on 31 not out.
It was the opener’s second half-century of the match after being dismissed in the first over of the day for 95.
Looking as composed as he was during his first-innings knock, the left-hander was untroubled by the Queensland pace attack to further suggest the work spent refining his technique over the off-season has borne fruit.
“There are a couple of things I have tinkered with – I’m not going to lie – but I’m not going to talk about those things,” Hughes said.
“When you have been putting hours in behind the scenes to score runs in the middle where it counts is a pleasing thing.
Queensland wicketkeeper Chris Hartley, who scored an impressive unbeaten 103 earlier in the day, believes Hughes has added variety to his game.
“He’s playing the pull shot a lot more which I reckon is a great idea because he’s only a short fella and he’s going to get a lot of balls up around the chest and neck area,” Hartley said.
“If the ball is in on his body, rather than try to fend it … the fact he is playing (the pull) gives him a way to combat that.
Earlier, Hartley’s seventh first-class century saved the Bulls from a precarious position.
Coming to the wicket after lunch with the score at 5-64, the glovesman hit his second successive ton at Shield level following his hundred in last season’s final against Tasmania.
James Hopes (42) and Ben Cutting (33) also made solid contributions before the Bulls prompted an early tea by declaring on 8-248 when Hartley reached his milestone.
Prior to the lower middle order firing, South Australia’s inexperienced bowling attack opened up the game.
Chadd Sayers (3-66) bowled opener Andrew Robinson for a duck and later took the wickets of Peter Forrest (five) and Joe Burns (0) in consecutive deliveries.
Usman Khawaja (20) nicked behind to Joe Mennie (3-74) after looking in good touch and the paceman dismissed Wade Townsend (21) on the stroke of lunch.
Nathan Lyon continued his disappointing performance to end with match figures of 2-128 from 27 overs as he looks to be selected for the first Test against South Africa in Brisbane on November 9.
After resuming on 7-164, the Redbacks’ first innings only lasted 9.1 overs on Wednesday as they collapsed to 184 all out.
Hughes fell without adding to his overnight score, nudging the second ball of the day from Hopes to Forrest at first slip. Hopes ended the innings with figures of 5-27.
